Greene County Democrat

Category: Community

  • Newswire : Vandals desecrate monuments honoring Blacks

    MLK monument in Denver desecrated



    Special to the Trice Edney News Wire from BlackMansStreet.Today

    (TriceEdneyWire.com) – The recent vandalism of a statue of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and other Black luminaries involved in the civil rights movement, is part of nationwide pattern of destroying monuments that honor Black leaders. 

A Martin Luther King Jr. statue in Denver, Colorado’s City Park was found damaged Wednesday morning after a gaping hole was cut out of the bronze plaque affixed to the statue.

The memorial is one of several Black monuments recently reported stolen or vandalized in the United States.

One of the largest targets is the Lincoln Memorial Park Cemetery in Carson-Compton, California.More than 100 bronze nameplates and a 1944 bronze plaque honoring African American veterans were stolen from the cemeteries. Police have not arrested anyone.

In February, Ricky Alderete,45, was arrested by Wichita Police for allegedly stealing Jackie Robinson’s statue and planning to sell it as scrap metal. Police took Alderete into custody, and he is being held on a $150,000 bond.

Robinson’s statue was stolen from McAdams Park in Wichita, Kansas. On January 25, police received reports that the statue was cut off at the ankles. Days later, the statue was found burning in a trash can. Alderete was charged with four counts, including felony theft and aggravated criminal damage to property, according to police.

Also in February, Laneisha Shantrice Henderson was arrested for attempting to burn down Martin Luther King Jr.’s childhood home in Atlanta.

Henderson poured gasoline over the home’s front porch and accent bushes before being stopped and detained by two off-duty New York police officers who were visiting the home as tourists. 

“That action saved an important part of American history tonight,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said. Henderson was arrested by police officers and charged with attempted arson.

Black churches are not immune to vandalism.

Mother Bethel African Methodist Church, a Black Philadelphia church, designated a National Historic Landmark in 1974, recently had several windows broken, including three of the church’s historic stained-glass windows. Philadelphia police arrested Haneef Cooper, 39. He was charged with criminal mischief for vandalizing Mother Bethel in the Society Hill neighborhood.

Pastor Rev. Mark Kelly Tyler estimated the damage at $30,000 because of the specialized craftsmanship needed to repair the historic stained glass.
    
Ed Dwight created the memorial in Colorado in 2002, honoring Dr. King and smaller statues of Mahatma Gandhi, Rosa Parks, Sojourner Truth, and Frederick Douglass.
The statue stands where the annual parade begins every year on Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The Denver police department’s bias-motivated crime unit is investigating.

  • Newswire: Sewell calls out House Republicans for legislation to ban IVF

    U. S. Representative Terri Sewell

     

    By: Alabama Political Reporter Staff

    U. S. Representative Terri Sewell, AL-07, yesterday joined House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar and Vice Chair Ted Lieu for a press conference on the Alabama Supreme Court ruling jeopardizing access to fertility treatments like IVF. Rep. Sewell called out Speaker Mike Johnson and House Republicans for cosponsoring federal legislation mirroring the Alabama ruling which would effectively ban IVF treatments nationwide.

    “I’m Congresswoman Sewell of Alabama’s 7th Congressional District. As the only Democrat in Alabama’s Congressional Delegation and the only woman in Alabama’s House Delegation, I join in expressing my outrage over the recent ruling effectively banning IVF treatments for women who are simply trying to have children. 

    This decision is alarming and unacceptable, and we are already seeing its chilling effects as clinics cut off fertility treatments in fear of prosecution. On Tuesday, my office hosted HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra for a roundtable discussion in Birmingham, Alabama, to hear directly from Alabama women on how they will be impacted. Many of them have spent years desperately trying to have children, some have devoted their life savings to fertility treatment, only to have their hopes and dreams ripped away by Republican judges on the Alabama Supreme Court. 

    Patients undergoing IVF already face significant emotional, physical and financial challenges, and this decision will only add to their fears and anxieties. Let me be clear, women in Alabama, and across this nation, deserve access to a full range of reproductive health services, and that includes women who would like to grow their families, but have had difficulty doing so. 
    Frankly, it is actually unimaginable that in the year 2024 we would be fighting this fight. Surely, reproductive freedom was a battle that my mother’s generation won, but everywhere we look, old battles have become new again as MAGA Extremists work to erode our hard-fought rights and freedoms and roll back our progress. Make no mistake, while some of our colleagues across the aisle are attempting to backtrack the role that Republican officials have played in creating this nightmare, they still own it. Even today, over 60 House Republicans, including Speaker Johnson himself, are currently co-sponsoring legislation that will ban IVF nationwide. 

    We cannot stand by as politicians work to strip women of their reproductive rights, nor can we accept a world where women today enjoy fewer rights and freedoms than their mothers and their grandmothers. House Democrats are working hard every day to restore the protections of Roe v. Wade into federal law and to protect the reproductive freedom of all women, everywhere. 

    With that, I want to thank my colleagues for allowing me to go on record about this alarming decision by the Alabama Supreme Court and how this is really owned by MAGA Extremists and by House Republicans.”

  • Newswire : Study reveals officer-involved killings of unarmed Black individuals linked to adverse sleep outcomes in Black community

    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent


    A comprehensive national study has brought to light distressing connections between officer-involved killings of unarmed Black individuals and adverse sleep outcomes within the African American community. The research was published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine and utilized a nationally representative repeated cross-sectional design. It delved into the repercussions of structural racism on sleep health outcomes following incidents of police violence.

    The central inquiry of the study focused on whether officer-involved killings of unarmed Black individuals are associated with adverse sleep health outcomes in the community. Utilizing a difference-in-differences design, researchers examined changes in sleep duration among non-Hispanic Black individuals before and after exposure to such incidents.

    “There are lots of reasons why Black Americans’ sleep — at least in terms of duration as well as quality — is worse than for potentially other groups,” said lead study author and associate professor of medical ethics and health policy at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Atheendar Venkataramani. “Part of it has to do with some economic factors, the types of jobs people are in, the environments people are living in — with regards to the noise or crime or things that are around — and the experience of discrimination can also create stress, which is bad for sleep.”
    Data from the US Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance Survey (BRFSS) and the American Time Use Survey (ATUS) were analyzed, covering 2013, 2014, 2016, and 2018 for BRFSS and 2013-2019 for ATUS. The study included responses from 181,865 Black and 1,799,757 white participants in the BRFSS and 9,858 Black and 46,532 white participants in the ATUS.

    The findings revealed a stark reality: non-Hispanic Black individuals were more likely than their non-Hispanic White counterparts to report short sleep (less than 7 hours) or very short sleep (less than 6 hours) following an officer-involved killing of an unarmed Black person in their area of residence. The trend persisted after nationally prominent incidents, irrespective of location within the United States.

    The study suggests a concerning association between exposure to officer-involved killings and racial disparities in sleep health. It further posits that these sleep disparities may play a mediating role in broader health outcomes linked to structural racism.

    The study underscored the pervasive impact of structural racism on racial disparities in sleep health outcomes. The implications for public health are significant, with study authors emphasizing the need for a deeper understanding of the systemic issues contributing to these outcomes and the development of targeted interventions to address the root causes.

    Medical professionals have urged policymakers, healthcare professionals, and communities to collaborate in addressing the underlying issues to foster a society where everyone can enjoy equal access to health and well-being.
     

  • Newswire: Mississippi House passes Medicaid Expansion, Alabama lags behind

    By: Alabama Political Reporter Staff
    In a striking departure from Alabama’s hesitant stance on health care reform, Mississippi has taken a bold step forward, with its Republican-led legislature spearheading the push to expand Medicaid. This move, encapsulated in the swift passage of House Bill 1725, is a testament to Mississippi’s commitment to addressing the health care needs of its working and low-income families.
    The Mississippi House of Representatives, demonstrating remarkable unity and purpose, approved the Medicaid expansion bill with an impressive 98-20 vote. This legislative milestone aims to extend crucial health care benefits to a broader swath of Mississippians, potentially marking a transformative moment in the state’s health policy.
    At the forefront of this legislative victory is Missy McGee, the House Medicaid Chair from Hattiesburg, who has emerged as a vocal advocate for the bill. A Republican, McGee has framed the Medicaid expansion as not just a policy initiative but a moral duty, urging colleagues to rise above partisan considerations in the interest of public health.
    The bill, which was ushered through the House in a brisk 15-minute session, now heads to the Senate, where a similar spirit of reform is brewing. With both chambers engaged in a concerted effort, Mississippi is poised to join the ranks of states that have embraced Medicaid expansion, signaling a bipartisan commitment to health care reform.Crafted by House Speaker Jason White and McGee, the legislation proposes to widen Medicaid eligibility to individuals earning up to 138 percent of the federal poverty line. This expansion includes a controversial work requirement, although the bill is structured to proceed with or without federal consent for this provision.
    Speaker White, in a post-vote briefing, underscored the dual advantages of the expansion, highlighting not only the health benefits but also the potential economic uplift for Mississippi. Despite Governor Tate Reeves’ historical skepticism towards Medicaid expansion, there is a growing optimism that the evident benefits of the bill will sway his stance.
    McGee’s post-vote reflections stressed the need to move beyond past resistance and engage with tangible solutions that will broaden health care access, benefiting hundreds of thousands of Mississippi’s working-class citizens.

  • Vice President Kamala Harris & Attorney General Merrick Garland to Attend the 2024 Bridge Crossing Jubilee in Selma

    Vice President Kamala Harris will return to Selma this Sunday for the 2024 Bridge Crossing Jubilee. The Vice President will be speaking at the Bridge and making the sacred Bloody Sunday March. She will be joining tens of thousands in attending the Annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee, which is the largest annual civil rights gathering in the nation.

    Former Senator Hank Sanders said: “Vice President Harris previously attended the Jubilee as Vice President two years ago. She has also attended the Martin and Coretta King Unity Breakfast at the Jubilee as a U.S. Senator before she was elected Vice President. As the first woman vice president and the first African American vice president, Harris stands on the shoulders of those who sacrificed for voting rights in Selma and across the county. Harris stands on the shoulders of other women, and she is opening doors for other women.”

    “United States Attorney General Merrick Garland, the highest law enforcement in the country, will be making his first trip to the Annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee in Selma this year. The Attorney General plays a key role in protecting voting rights throughout the United States,” Sanders said.

    Also, Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for Civil Rights will be making her second trip to Selma this year for the Jubilee. She is one of the national speakers at the Annual Martin & Coretta King Unity Breakfast on Sunday at Wallace Community College Selma. The Unity Breakfast is from 7:00 to 9:00 a.m. and features a strong slate of national and international speakers, including Martin Luther King, III; Congressman Jim Clyburn; U.S. Senator Laphonza Butler, NAACP Legal Defense Fund President Janai S. Nelson; the Rev. Dr. William Barber; Coumba Toure Ba from Senegal, West Africa; Tennessee State Representative Gloria Johnson; and many others.

    The Annual Bridge Crossing Jubilee features dozens and dozens of events, which began on Monday, February 26th and run through Sunday, March 3rd. There is something for everyone at this year’s Jubilee, including Vice President Kamala Harris’ speech at the Bridge and Attorney General Merrick Garland’s participation in the Bridge Crossing Jubilee.

  • Tuesday March 5 primary features national and local political races

    Next Tuesday, March 5th, voters throughout Alabama will have a chance to vote in the Democratic or Republican primary to choose candidates for offices from President, Congress and down the ballot to local offices.

    There is also one Statewide Amendment on both party ballots, which would allow the Alabama Legislature to pass local legislation and Constitutional Amendments before approving an annual budget. The current legislative rules often result in limitations and problems passing local legislation at the very end of the session, after the budget has been passed. Most statewide political organizations are supporting a “yes” vote on this Statewide Amendment No. 1.

    In the Democratic Primary, voters will have a choice for President between incumbent Joseph R. Biden Jr., Dean Phillips and Uncommitted.
    Further down the ballot they will have a choice of voting for up to nine persons to serve as delegates for Biden and two for Uncommitted. The names of nine persons: Helenor Bell, Linda Coleman-Bell, Christopher John England, Rolanda Hollis, Kevin Lawrence, Robert L. Stewart, Albert Turner Jr., Sheila Tyson and Warren ‘Billy’ Young, are listed as delegates for Biden from our Congressional District.

    Also in the Democratic Primary, voters will choose a candidate for U. S. Representative for the 7th Congressional District, between seven term incumbent, Terri A Sewell, and Chris Davis, a Birmingham attorney and political staffer.

    On the Democratic ballot there is a local contest for Circuit Court Judge of the 17th Judicial Circuit, including Greene, Sumter, and Marengo counties, between current District Attorney Gregory S. Griggers and Robert “Rob” J. Lee, a Eutaw attorney. These two White lawyers are vying to fill the seat of Circuit Judge Eddie Hardaway, an African American, who is term limited by age. There were no Black lawyers living in the rural district, who qualified to run.

    Black voters in the three Black Belt counties have a difficult choice between two white candidates, to choose “the lesser of two evils”. Neither of the candidates have a strong record of supporting Black people and issues of concern to Black people.

    On the Republican ballot, there are seven choices for President, including Donald J. Trump, Nikki Haley, Uncommitted and others who have already suspended their campaigns.

    Republicans will choose between Christian Horn and Robin Litaker for the candidate to run for 7th District Congressperson against incumbent Terri Sewell, who is likely to win the Democratic nomination to run for an eight term.

    Republicans will also choose between Sarah Stewart and Bryan Taylor for Chief Justice of the Alabama Supreme Court; Chad Hanson and Stephen Davis Parker for Court of Civil Appeals; Rich Anderson and Thomas Govan for Court of Criminal Appeals; and Twinkle Andress Cavanaugh and Robert L. McCollum, for President of the Public Service Commission.

    The Co-Publishers of the Greene County Democrat are urging all registered voters to vote in the March 5th Democratic or Republican primaries. We must vote, in every election, to keep renewing and supporting democracy in our nation.

  • Newswire : Greene County Career Center scholars highlight course achievements

    L to R: Keyora Cross, Kaden Roberts, Quentin Walton, Jr., Brianna Powell, Marlene Lee, Kayla Nickson, and Jeremiah Bullock

    The Greene County Board of Education held its monthly meeting, Monday, February 26, 2024, with all members present. The board held a student hearing prior to the official meeting, which progressed one hour past the scheduled time for the opening of the Board meeting,
    A highlight of the meeting included presentations from Greene County Career Center scholars. Each student presented a brief summary of a Career Center course in which they are engaged. Keyora Cross presented from Health Science; Kaden Roberts presented from Modern Manufacturing; Quentin Walton, Jr. presented from Marketing, Brianna Powell presented from Jobs for Alabama’s Graduates (JAG), Marlene Lee presented from Cosmetology and Jeremiah Bullock presented from Welding.
    Ms. Teresa Atkins, Greene County Career Center Director, asked students to introduce themselves and give a brief statement of their work, since the time allotted for them was very short. Other Career Center instructors and staff present in support of the students included Angela White, Counselor; LaMonica Little, Career Coach; Nicole Henley, Health Science; Patricia Rhone, Business Administration; Shamyra Jones, JAG Specialist; and Dexter Hinton, Modern Manufacturing.
    Instructors and staff not able to attend with the students included: Tomora Morris (Marketing); Paula Calligan (Cosmetology); Zachary Rutledge (Welding); Jackie Clark (HVAC) and Tweila Morris (Secretary).
    The Board approved the following personnel items recommended by Superintendent Dr. Corey Jones.
    Employment: Jimirriam Roscoe – CNP Cook at Greene County High, effective January 29, 2024; Antonique Wilder – Long Term Sub, 7th/8th Grade Math at Robert Brown Middle; Linda Davis – Substitute CNP Cook.
    Catastrophic Sick Leave for Cindy Taylor, Attendance/Truancy Officer for the Greene County School System.
    Supplement for La Tanya Cockrell to serve as Superintendent’s Secretary, effective January 2024.
    Supplement Contracts – Rodney Wesley, Assistant Boys Track Coach; Victoria Moore, Head Girls Track Coach; Torethia Mitchel, Assistant Girls Track Coach; Denzel Davis, Assistant Baseball Coach.
    The board approved the following administrative items recommended by Superintendent Jones.
    * Change order to replace ceramic tile in 5 locations at Eutaw Primary School by Floors and More, LLC in the amount of $6,564.
    * Lowest responsible bid from Stateline Mechanical to install HVAC equipment at Robert Brown Middle School in the amount of $1,499,000.
    * Travel for Superintendent Dr. Corey Jones to attend NSBA Conference and Exposition in New Orleans, LA on July 5 – 8, 2024.
    * Travel for Board member Robert Davis to attend NSBA Conference and Exposition in New Orleans, LA on July 5 – 8, 2024.
    * Out of state field trip request for Lamonica Little and 11th grade students to tour Jackson State University and Tougaloo College in Jackson, Mississippi on April 10, 2024.
    * Travel to attend SREB Making Schools Work Conference – Nashville, TN – July 8 – 12, 2024 -Dr. Corey Jones, Dr. Charlayne Jordan and Garry Rice.
    * Lowest quote from Joe Hurst, JAZJ Painting in the amount of $8,380 to paint the kitchen area at each school.
    * MOA between the Greene County Board of Education and The University of Alabama at Birmingham for Robert Brown Middle and Greene County High School to participate in the Alabama Rural Learning Accelerator Program.
    * Agreement between Greene County Board of Education and Tammy W. Lewis MSCCC-SLP to provide virtual speech-language services to students in Greene County Schools as indicated in their IEP.
    * LEA Consolidated and Parent Engagement Plan for FY 2024.
    * Payment of all bills, claims, and payroll.
    * Bank reconciliations as submitted by Mrs. Marquita Lennon, CSFO.
    Proposed 2024-2025 Academic Calendar Option 1.
    CSFO, Marquita Lennon, presented the following monthly financials as of January 31, 2024.
    Operating Reserve: 5.94 (months) combined general fund reserve; 4.87 (months) cash reserve. All bank accounts have been reconciled. General Fund Bank Balance – $5,989,902.60 (Reconciles to the Summary Cash Report). Payroll Check Register – $285,784.90; Payroll Register – $945,182.32 (Total gross pay to include employer match items). Combined Ending Fund Balance – $7,307,781.28. Local Revenue: Property Taxes – $1,948,298; Sales Taxes – $98,226; Other Taxes – $4,095; Total – $2,050,619.
    Dr. Daniel Boyd, consultant who is leading Superintendent Jones annual evaluation, presented the evaluation process to the board which utilizes eight standards and five indicators, including various surveys/questionnaires. Through these he will collect data from board members and school personnel that the superintendent supervises directly and who report directly to the superintendent and make his report to the board between March and April. The superintendent’s self-assessment will also be included in the summary findings.
    Dr. Boyd stated that the areas of improvement noted in Dr. Jones previous year’s evaluation included leadership, communication and community affairs. For the current evaluation, Dr. Jones must provide internal data sources, 16 artifacts documenting various areas of his performance.
    .

  • Newswire : Plastics are threatening Ghana’s wild fish industry

    Feb. 26, 2024 (GIN) – Environmentalists are worried. Plastics, tons of it, are being produced annually but 70 percent of it ends up in landfills or is incinerated.  Several studies have predicted that by the middle of the 21st century, there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s ocean.
     
    In Ghana, some of the effects of ocean pollution are already being seen as fisher folks are catching more plastic than fish.  “For some years now, whenever we cast our nets, all we catch are plastics,” said Kwame Nkum, a Ghanaian who claims to know about the problem first hand. “Sometimes, after a whole haul, you only get a dozen fishes and the rest is just waste.”
     
    Of Ghana’s total plastic waste, an estimated 86 percent is improperly disposed of, resulting in plastics clogging up storm water drains, rivers and streams and ending up in the oceans. 
     
    -With such a huge plastic waste problem, Ghana has an overall Ocean Health Index score of 65 out of 100, which is said to be lower than the global average score of 69. The country is ranked 160 out of 220 regions on the index.
     
    All this plastic waste poses a dire threat to Ghana’s fishing industry which employs 200,000 fishers, delivering 80 percent of total fish supply locally and providing a livelihood to over 2 million people including thousands of market women.  
     
    While several other African countries have adopted punitive legislative anti-plastic bans targeting the importation, production, and consumption of single use plastics, Ghana has been slow to tackle plastics.
     
    New tools to increase plastic waste collection and recycling are being developed along the lines of carbon credits – collectively called “plastic credits”. With these tools, the World Bank has just announced a $100M waste reduction bond for plastic and carbon credits. This innovative bond provides investors with a financial return linked to Plastic Waste Collection Credits, Plastic Waste Recycling Credits (collectively, plastic credits), and Verified Carbon Units (carbon credits). 
     
    In addition to reducing plastic pollution, these bonds will address local pollution and air quality, reduce associated health impacts, and create jobs in often overlooked and marginalized communities. 
     
    Alexander Onica of Skandia, a Swedish financial services corporation, commented: “We are very pleased to participate in the Plastic Waste Reduction-Linked Bond. It’s a very good example of how investment capital can both generate a good return for our customers and at the same time contribute to solving some of today’s global challenges.  “The large amount of plastic that pollutes the world’s oceans are everyone’s responsibility,” said Onica.. “I’m pleased that Skandia is participating and contributing to part of the solution.”
     
    Elsewhere, Kenya and Rwanda continue to break records in recycling plastic waste.  This week, a group of Kenyan women could be seen picking up plastic waste that will serve to build freezers. The waste is sold to Kuza Freezer where employees break down the plastics into pellets before molding them into cold storage units.
     
    Rwanda has been carrying out national bans to reduce the consumption and manufacturing of single use plastics since 2004. Rwanda was the first country in the African region to introduce a law banning plastic and is now recognized as one of the few countries in the world to progressively react to the issue of plastic pollution.

  • Newswire : Historic Obesity Bill of Rights unveiled amidst surging obesity rates nationwide

    Black woman suffering with obesity


    By Stacy M. Brown, NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent


    In response to a relentless surge in obesity rates nationwide, a powerful alliance of leading consumer advocates, aging experts, and public health groups have introduced the groundbreaking Obesity Bill of Rights for Americans. The initiative, with the National Consumers League (NCL) and the National Council on Aging (NCOA) at its forefront, aims to transform obesity care by enacting significant changes in federal, state, and employer policies.

    The Obesity Bill of Rights is the culmination of a yearlong, meticulous fact-finding effort involving experts and communities, marking a crucial turning point in the battle against the United States’ most pervasive and expensive chronic disease. Shockingly, even a decade after the American Medical Association (AMA) classified obesity as a severe disease requiring comprehensive care, it continues to be largely overlooked and untreated.

    “Our aim with the Obesity Bill of Rights is to designate quality obesity care as the inherent right of all adults, empowering those with the disease to demand unbiased treatment, regardless of their size or weight,” Sally Greenberg, CEO of the National Consumers League, said in a news release.

    Developed in collaboration with leading obesity specialists and backed by nearly 40 national obesity and chronic disease organizations, the Obesity Bill of Rights establishes eight fundamental rights. These rights are designed to ensure that individuals with obesity undergo screening, diagnosis, counseling, and treatment according to medical guidelines, eradicating pervasive weight bias and ageism within the healthcare system.

    The staggering statistics surrounding obesity underscore the critical need for this initiative. Presently, only 30 million out of an estimated 108 million adults living with obesity have been diagnosed, and a mere 2% of those eligible for anti-obesity medications have received these treatments. Officials noted in a news release that the consequences of untreated obesity include worsening outcomes for over 230 obesity-related chronic diseases, approximately 400,000 premature deaths annually, and an estimated $1.72 trillion in direct and indirect costs to the U.S. economy.

    “These rights collectively ensure that adults with obesity have reliable, accurate information about their disease, respectful and nondiscriminatory care from medical professionals, and insurance that provides access to all treatments deemed appropriate by their health providers,” stated Ramsey Alwin, NCOA President and CEO.
    NCL and NCOA have started the Right2ObesityCare grassroots movement to drive the radical change that the Obesity Bill of Rights envisions. Officials said the movement aims to engage individuals with obesity, caregivers, health professionals, community leaders, employers, and a network of obesity and chronic disease organizations to foster the adoption of the Obesity Bill of Rights in clinical settings.

    The online hub, www.right2obesitycare.org, will serve as the epicenter for mobilizing stakeholders, focusing on national and state policy efforts. Right2ObesityCare will develop national “obesity goals” for fully implementing the Obesity Bill of Rights by December 31, 2029. Plans include regional town halls, workshops, advocacy forums, and meetings with federal and state legislators and regulators.

    Meanwhile, the Obesity Bill of Rights has garnered initial endorsements from 36 prominent organizations, including the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Nurses Association, and the Obesity Action Coalition. The coalition’s efforts have also received support from influential policymakers such as Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) and Rep. Gwen Moore (D-WI), who are championing the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) to expand access to obesity treatments.

    “Obesity is a chronic condition – not a personal or moral failing,” Moore asserted. “We need to ensure our health care system treats it as a disease, so that Americans with obesity can access holistic, high-quality care that meets the full spectrum of their needs. I am proud to be a co-lead of the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act, which puts us on a path toward effectively treating obesity, helping create healthier outcomes for Americans and supporting enhanced quality of life for Medicare beneficiaries who need comprehensive care.”

  • Newswire : Trump repeatedly says ‘The Blacks’ in shameless exploitation of legal woes to woo African American voters

    By Stacy M. Brown,
NNPA Newswire Senior National Correspondent

    In a brazen display of political manipulation, former President Donald Trump took to the stage at the Black Conservative Federation Gala in South Carolina, using racially charged rhetoric and shamelessly attempting to forge a connection between his multiple criminal indictments and the historical struggles of Black Americans.
    The twice-impeached and four-times indicted former president is facing 91 felony counts, including racketeering and conspiracy to obstruct justice. A New York jury determined that he should pay nearly $90 million for sexually assaulting a journalist. A judge has ordered him to pay about a half-billion in penalties for committing massive business fraud. Yet Trump boasted about his legal battles, suggesting that the Black community supports him because they identify with the discrimination he claims to face.
    “I got indicted a second time, a third time, and a fourth time and a lot of people said that that’s why the Black people like me because they have been hurt so badly and discriminated against,” Trump declared callously, drawing applause from the audience.
    Attempting to equate his privileged legal battles with the systemic oppression endured by Black Americans throughout history, Trump asserted, “I think that’s why the Black people are so much on my side now because they see what’s happening to me happens to them. Does that make sense?”
    Throughout the evening, Trump continued his disturbing narrative, pointing to his mugshot from the Fulton County election interference case as a symbol embraced by the Black population. “My mug shot; we’ve all seen the mug shot. And you know who embraced it more than anybody else: the Black population. It’s incredible,” he remarked, exploiting the image for political gain and suggesting that African Americans are particularly familiar with mugshots.
    In a tasteless attempt at humor, Trump made racially insensitive comments about the brightness of the lights on stage, stating, “These lights are so bright in my eyes that I can’t see too many people out there. But I can only see the Black ones. I can’t see any white ones. You see, that’s how far I’ve come. That’s how far I’ve come.” The remarks played into racial stereotypes, leaving some on stage uncomfortably laughing.
    Trump’s calculated appearance included Black political allies, such as Reps. Byron Donalds and Wesley Hunt, as well as former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, all of whom are Black but have little to no ties to fellow African Americans. The event has ignited widespread condemnation for its blatant attempt to exploit racial tensions and manipulate the struggles of Black Americans for political gain.
    The former president’s shameless tactics at the gala underscored a troubling trend of divisive rhetoric and opportunistic exploitation, raising questions about the ethical boundaries of political discourse and the extent to which leaders are willing to go to secure support within specific communities.
    “There’s just so much controversy,” Ebony McBeth, a Columbia resident and transportation worker, told the Associated Press. “I would go for Biden just because Trump has his own agenda.”
    Isaac Williams Sr., a retired cook from Columbia and a lifelong Democrat, said he disliked both parties but found Trump to “have mobster tendencies. He’s only out for himself.”